Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ passes US Congress

ABC NEWS / WASHINGTON D.C. — US President Donald Trump’s massive tax cut and spending bill has passed the US House of Representatives by four votes.

The “big beautiful bill” passed 218-214. Only two Republicans voted in opposition to the legislation.

It followed a series of stops and starts as Republicans strained to advance the bill, with leaders working almost around the clock to persuade skeptical holdouts to vote in favor.

The leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, then spoke for eight hours and 44 minutes as he sought to delay the bill’s passage, breaking the record for the longest speech delivered on the House floor.

“This disgusting abomination is not about improving the quality of life of the American people,” Jeffries said.

“The focus of this bill, the justification for all of the cuts that will hurt everyday Americans, is to provide massive tax breaks for billionaires.”

Speaking moments before voting on the bill started, Republican House speaker Mike Johnson accused Democrats of using the speech as a “performance”.

“If you’re for fair and lower taxes, bigger pay checks, affordable gas and groceries and restoring dignity to hard work, this is the bill for you,” Johnson said.

“It makes no difference whether our colleagues across the chamber speak for 25 minutes or 25 hours, they can’t change the truth.”

President Trump had been pressing members of Congress to get him the bill to sign into law by the July 4 Independence Day holiday.

The bill is expected to be the marquee legislation of Trump’s second term in the White House.

The Senate passed the legislation by the narrowest possible margin on after Vice President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote.